Oscillating power tools generally have a motor, an output shaft, and a transmission that connects the motor to the output shaft and converts rotary motion of the motor to oscillating motion of the output shaft. The output shaft is coupled to an accessory attachment mechanism that is used to removably attach various types of accessories, such as cutting tools, saw blades, and sanding tools, to the output shaft. Different brands of oscillating power tools tend to have different, often proprietary, accessory attachment mechanisms. It is desirable to have oscillating accessories with a universal attachment portion that can be attached to a multitude of different brands of oscillating power tools.
For example, FIGS. 1-6 show examples of various proprietary accessory components that extend from a power tool and that each includes a plurality of projections as described in U.S. Pat. No. 8,915,499, which is incorporated by reference herein. The example accessory components illustrated in FIGS. 1-6 are of those sold under the TRADENAMES of Fein® (FIG. 1), Craftsman® (FIG. 2), Porter-Cable® (FIG. 3), Dremel®, Bosch®, Milwaukee® and Skil® (FIG. 4), Rigid® (FIG. 5), and Mastercraft® (FIG. 6). FIG. 7 shows a blade 102 that includes a single universal mounting configuration. The mounting configuration is formed of a plurality of slits into which the projections of the accessory components of FIGS. 1-6 are able to project. FIGS. 8-13 show the universal mounting configuration of FIG. 7 in use with respective ones of the accessory components shown in FIGS. 1-6. This is just one example of a single universal mounting configuration, and many others are known in the art. By way of example, FIGS. 14-17 illustrate additional examples of respective single universal mounting configurations that are each already known in the art, implemented on an oscillating blade 102.
FIGS. 18-27 illustrate yet another example of a single universal mounting configuration used on various accessories or tools that have different types of working edges and configurations. For example, FIG. 18 is a top view of another version of a universal mounting configuration with a closed back end, where the configuration is used on a blade 102 having a straight serrated cutting edge 104. FIG. 19 is a side view thereof. FIG. 20 is a top view of the universal mounting configuration of FIG. 18, where the configuration is used on a blade 102 with an arched abrading edge 106 on which there are abrasive particles. FIG. 21 is a side view thereof. FIG. 22 is a top view of the universal mounting configuration of FIG. 18, where the configuration is used on a blade 102 with a slightly arched slicing edge 108. FIG. 23 is a side view thereof. FIG. 24 is a top view of the universal mounting configuration of FIG. 18, where the configuration is used on an oscillating circular saw blade 102, while FIG. 25 shows substantially the same arrangement except where the blade is only partially circular. FIG. 26 is a top view of another blade 102 with a straight serrated cutting edge 104, the width of which is smaller than the blade of FIG. 18, but with the same mounting configuration. FIG. 27 is a top view of the universal mounting configuration of FIG. 18, where the configuration is used on a blade 102 with a curved chipping edge 110.
The closed end of the blades of FIGS. 18-27 does not allow a clamping member to be inserted through the back of the blade, unlike the examples shown in FIGS. 7-17, which have open ends, and more time may therefore be required to assemble the blades of FIGS. 18-27 onto a power tool than the blades of FIGS. 7-17.